PC Sam Tomlinson said: “The attack was an impulsive, violent act based on a completely false accusation. Not only did Chapman decide to take the law into his own hands but he attacked a completely innocent man. All of our work around this case has shown that the victim was absolutely not filming children. He is an innocent man who did nothing to warrant Chapman’s actions.

“The attack has had a profound effect on the victim. As well as the physical injuries, he has suffered panic attacks and was scared to return to the park.

“We hope that today’s sentencing can give him some comfort.”

As the victim was filming at the time of the assault, Chapman was recorded on camera. This footage was released to the public in the hope the offender could be identified and officers were delighted with the public’s response.

PC Tomlinson said: “We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their response to the appeal. Without the appeal and the information which came from it, it is fair to say we may have been unable to identify Chapman.”